Book Your Vacation Accommodation Direct With The Ownerup to 25% lower prices than Airbnbmore...

6 Reasons To #bookdirect In 2019

Why #BOOKDIRECT?

6 reasons to #bookdirect in 2019 - There are over 17 million short term rental properties for rent on the web. Choosing the right one can be a minefield. Choosing one at the right price is easier than you think.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best way of booking a vacation/holiday property is direct with the property's owner.

There are a number of reason for this and we have listed them below…

1. Big Savings

Let’s start with the BIG money saver…

When you book your vacation/holiday rental accommodation direct with the owner you can save huge amounts of money - If that isn’t an incentive we don’t know what is.

The big listing sites like Airbnb, Expedia, Homeaway and VRBO charge “service” fees of up to 25% of the cost of the booking and that puts a big dent in your vacation budget.

That same booking will cost you a whopping $160 more if you book through Airbnb compared to the #bookdirect price here on Vacation Soup.

In fact Homeaway and VRBO charge a service fee of up to $499 per booking. The average booking fee for the platform is in the region of $150 for a one week stay.

Being charged $150 just for clicking a button and booking on Airbnb is a lot of money. That money could be spent on 2 new sets of luggage or you could hire this Toyota Yaris for the week and still have some money left over - You can see what I mean

2. Avoid The Greed

Airbnb have no upper limit with their service fee and if you were to book one of their most expensive listings you will find yourself paying an eye watering $10,449 service fee for a 7 night stay.

For $10,499 you could buy this Rolex Datejust, 36mm, steel and yellow gold watch - which you would have for life!

So why give all of that money to Airbnb?

So much for the sharing economy!

There are many other advantages to booking direct with the owner…

3. Direct Communication

When you book direct you have direct contact with the owner or property manager.
Both the owner and/or manager know the property and location intimately so they can answer your questions and advise where necessary.

They can advise on things like car hire, wheelchair access, pool safety, ski hire and the like. Maybe you have a toddler and need a cot and high chair, maybe you have a dog or maybe you have an aged parent who can’t climb stairs. All owners and managers will be happy to help with these and other questions.

If you have questions you can just email or call and they can answer your needs and put your mind at ease. At the end of the day you get a much more personal service and let’s face it, vacations are personal.

4. Local knowledge

When it comes to getting the most out of a vacation nothing beats a little local knowledge. Most owners and all property managers live in the area so they have a wealth of experience when it comes to the best thing to see and do while on vacation.

They can recommend the best bars, cafes and restaurants as well as the best beaches, walking trails, cycling routes, day trips and so on. These are the things that make what could have been a good holiday into a fantastic holiday with a host of great memories. Just have a look through our travel tips and you will see what I mean.

5. Not all properties are listed on the big portals or meta search sites

Many of the best vacation properties aren’t even listed with the big online travel agencies (OTA’s) so these holiday homes can only be booked direct via the owner's or property manager's website. This is more common place now as sites like Booking(.com) charge owners 15% of each booking and owners are balking at these high fees.

6. Off peak deals

You will often find that owners and managers have special out of season deals. Maybe you will snag a welcome pack, get 7 nights for the price of 6, a discounted cleaning fee or some other sweetener from the owner.

In Summary…

#bookdirect and save a whole chunk of money

#bookdirect and benefit from personal communication with the owner or manager

#bookdirect and take advantage of a locals in-depth knowledge of the area